Conference presenter to address male minorities

The Faculty and Staff for Student Excellence is putting on the third annual Men of Color Conference on Feb. 3. \nThe keynote speaker for this year's event is the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute's founder and president, Juan Andrade Jr. \n"We are leaders," Andrade said. "The better leaders are those who recognize that they are leaders. There is a role for men to play that needs to be defined, and I hope I can shed some light on it."\nAndrade said he believes in the importance of leadership, empowerment and professional growth. It is important for men of color to work together, he said.\nAndrade has earned five college degrees, including a doctorate from Northern Illinois University, and has worked toward "securing democracy" in 10 countries, including Mexico, Columbia and Haiti. He has also been a regular columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.\nAndrade's goal for his speech is to promote professional and personal growth for young male minorities.\n"There are some things that we as men need to be mindful of, like the expectations of society and the role we play (in it)," Andrade said. "Our responsibilities are to take advantage of opportunities and to pave the way to find our own path and lead a path for others and open doors."\nA student-staffed committee chose Andrade after much contemplation, said Edwardo Rhodes, associate vice president for academic support and diversity. Rhodes said he believes the committee made an excellent choice with Andrade and plans to attend the event.\n"He was chosen last fall (by the committee) and can bring some insight into male leadership as well as men-of-color leadership," Rhodes said.\nThe conference will begin at 9 a.m. in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. Andrade will speak at 11:50 a.m. at the luncheon. The student-led conference is committed to uniting African-American, Hispanic, Asian and American-Indian men throughout the country by providing a platform and a venue for effective dialogue and leadership development, according to a \npress release. \nKeynote speakers from the past include IU President Adam Herbert and Eugene White, superintendent of the Indianapolis Public School Corp.\nAlong with the keynote speech from Andrade, students and faculty members will participate in workshops on building leadership and understanding self-image.\nPatrick Smith, director of the Faculty and Staff for Student Excellence Mentoring Program, said he is excited about Andrade's visit. He encourages students of both genders and all races to attend. Smith said Andrade has a message that will resonate with \nall students.\n"The whole goal is to promote educational values and to motivate and to emphasize the importance of obtaining success through educational pursuits," Smith said.\nThere is a $50 attendance fee that will cover all expenses to attend the conference. To register, visit the Men of Color Leadership Conference Web site at www.indiana.edu/~moc.